Virgin Voyages has crafted a unique 5-night Caribbean voyage, scheduled for departure on October 10 from Miami (Florida USA) aboard Valiant Lady, by partnering with iHeartMedia to immerse passengers in a curated world of true-crime podcasts.
This themed sailing is designed to appeal to niche audiences, group travelers, and travel advisors—known as First Mates—offering generous commissions, group incentives, no non-commissionable fares, and transparent pricing.
Nathan Rosenberg, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Sales at Virgin Voyages, noted that the cruise line has leveraged a highly engaged podcast following to create a distinct product combining pop culture and elevated travel. He indicated that this experience provides First Mates with a fresh storytelling opportunity and is already generating strong demand.
The itinerary includes calls at Puerto Plata and Virgin’s exclusive Beach Club at Bimini, with onboard programming centred on hit iHeartMedia true-crime podcasts such as Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know, Betrayal, and Buried Bones.
Guests will have the opportunity to attend live podcast recordings, participate in “How to Podcast” workshops, meet podcast hosts in person, receive themed cocktails and bites, and enjoy giveaways.
Pricing follows Virgin’s inclusive model, covering more than 20 dining venues, essential beverages, fitness classes, gratuities, and Wi‑Fi—eliminating surprise costs for guests and allowing advisors to offer fully transparent bookings.
Rosenberg described the voyage as “exciting, bookable and profitable,” intended to re-engage previous clients and tap into new audiences through niche marketing.
Positioned as the first in a broader series of genre-driven voyages, the True Crime Voyage builds on Virgin’s storytelling-focused approach and is expected to herald further themed experiences in areas such as wellness, comedy, music, and food.